The fact of the matter is that, even when you apply ED or EA, not everyone will get in. A fraction of students are denied acceptance outright in the early round of admissions, but many more students are deferred to the regular admissions round. Depending on the college or university, 40–90% of students are not admitted early, resulting in either denial or deferral. Some schools do not deny early applicants at all, they either accept or defer only.

If a student’s application is deferred, don’t worry! We’ll cover the next steps: what is a letter of continued interest, do you send one, when do you send it, and how? What do you include in your follow-ups with colleges and save your spot in their admissions pool or on their waitlists and maximize your chances of being admitted?